Information on this page was copied from handwritten books located at the Rensselaer County Clerk's Office and was submitted by the late Janet Derbyshire. The Town of Greenbush was subdivided on 23 February 1855 into the Towns of Greenbush, North Greenbush and Clinton. A little over three months later, this census was taken of the Town of Clinton. In 1858 the name of the Town of Clinton was changed to the Town of East Greenbush. In 1855, the Town of Clinton contained one village only: the Village of East Greenbush. This village later relinquished its incorporated status.

Columns
1 - Dwelling houses numbered in order of visitation
2 - Families numbered in order of visitation
3 - Name of each person whose place of abode, on the 1st day of June 1855, was in this family
4 - Sex: m = male, f = female
5 - Color: w - white, b - black, m - mulatto
6 - Age at last birthday prior to June 1, 1855. If under 1 year, give months in fractions, thus 2/12
7 - Relationship of each person to the head of this family, whether wife, child, servant, boarder, or other
8 - Marital status: s = single, mar = married, wid = widowed, div = divorced
9 - Length of time each person has been a resident of "this community"
10 - Profession, occupation or trade
11 - Place of birth, naming state or territory of United States, or country, if foreign birth
12 - Citizenship: nv = native, al = alien, nz = naturalized
13 - Whether or not owns land: o/l = owns land
14 - Whether or not can read and write: cn r/w = cannot read or write
15 - Of what material house is built
16 - Value of house